UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND
REQUIRES
International consultancy
to provide technical assistance in the analysis of policy and legal framework and practice
related to children and youth leaving institutional care in Montenegro
(The Child Care System Reform IPA 2014)
Minimum Requirements:
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University degree, preferably advanced, in social sciences, social work, psychology, or a
related field;
At least 5 years of experience in social research;
Direct experience in similar research on youth leaving care policies and practice;
Thorough understanding of child rights and international standards in the area of
alternative care of children;
Familiarity with the social and child protection system in Montenegro will be considered
as an asset;
Previous work experience with UNICEF will be considered as an asset;
Excellent command of either Montenegrin or English language (both spoken and
written), whilst fluency in both will be considered as an asset;
Excellent communication and writing skills.
Terms of Reference for the position and P11 form can be found on the website
www.unicef.org/montenegro or picked up at UNICEF Montenegro office.
If you are a dynamic person who would like to contribute to delivering of long-lasting, positive
changes for Montenegro’s children, please apply with a CV, P11 form, financial offer and cover
letter by email, mail or fax quoting the position “Children and youth leaving institutional care in
Montenegro Analysis” to the following address:
UNICEF, UN Eco House, Stanka Dragojevica bb, 81 000 Podgorica
Fax: +382 20 447 400
Email: podgorica@unicef.org
Closing date for applications is 26 September, 2014 by 12:00h.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted for interview.
UNICEF IS A SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT
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Terms of Reference
International consultant to provide technical assistance in the analysis of policy and legal
framework and practice related to children and youth leaving institutional care in Montenegro
(The Child Care System Reform IPA 2014)
Background and Context
Observance of human and child rights represents an essential value of the European Union and an
important part of the enlargement policy for Montenegro and the Western Balkan countries.
Montenegro recognized the need to undertake relevant measures to implement institutional, legislative
and administrative reforms in order to make sure that the rights and needs of each individual child are
observed and protected in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the EU
Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their
rights to survival, growth and development. The approach of UNICEF is to create a protective
environment, where girls and boys are free from violence, exploitation, and unnecessary separation
from family; and where laws, services, behaviours and practices minimize children’s vulnerability,
address known risk factors, and strengthen children’s own resilience.
In Montenegro, the overall goal of the UNICEF Country programme for 2012-2016 signed with the
Government of Montenegro is to accompany the country’s efforts towards increasing equity and
ensuring the inclusion of children and women who are in need of special protection, live in poverty, or
are socially marginalized so that they can enjoy and exercise their rights. The country programme
comprises two mutually reinforcing components: Programme 1 Child protection and social inclusion;
and Programme 2 Child rights, policies and EU integrations.
A crucial segment of the on-going Country programme for 2012-2016 is the continuation of the Child
Care System Reform initiative implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in partnership
with UNICEF with the financial assistance of the European Union (IPA 2014, as a continuation of
Child Care System Reform IPA 20101). In addition to the Government of Montenegro having
identified UNICEF as the implementing partner, the European Union has called for the application of
UNICEF instruments and child protection standards2 in the implementation of the reform process so
as to ensure compliance of national policy, legislation and practice with these standards.
The reform follows a systematic approach to child protection, targeting all levels of the system and
covering the areas of law reform, development of child protection standards and monitoring
mechanisms, capacity building of professionals in the child protection system, deinstitutionalization and
the transformation of residential institutions for children, the development of prevention mechanisms
and family and community based services for children and families.
At the end of 2013, about 230 Montenegro’s children were placed in residential institutions in
Montenegro or in institutions in neighbouring Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although this is a
significant decrease compared to 2007 (when there were over 450 children in institutions) the fact that
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The Child Care System Reform IPA 2010 was implemented between January 2011 and July 2014 as an integral part (3rd
component) of a broader initiative - the “Social Welfare and Child Care System Reform: Enhancing Social Inclusion Project” which
was implemented through a partnership between the Government of Montenegro (the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the
Ministry of Education) and UN agencies in Montenegro (UNICEF and UNDP) with the support of the European Union in the amount
of 3 million Euros.
2 Analytical Report accompanying the Commission Opinion on Montenegro’s application for membership of the European Union,
Brussels 2010.
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there are still limited alternative settings explains why deinstitutionalization is at the heart of child care
reform in the country. The number of children in the largest children’s home in Montenegro,
“Mladost” has been gradually decreasing (there were 154 children in 2010, 116 children at the end of
2013, and 97 in May 2014). The number of children aged 0-3 was steady between 2008 and 2011
averaging at 25 children resident in a year, subsequently, the number began decreasing dramatically,
with only 4 children aged 0-3 placed in May 2014.
The Government of Montenegro (the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare - MoLSW leading the
process) has demonstrated commitment to the process of deinstitutionalization by revising its policy
and legal framework. The new Law on Social and Child Protection which was adopted in 2013
prohibits the placement of children under 3 in institutions (except under exceptional circumstances)
and prescribes the transformation of residential institutions. Following its adoption, the MoLSW has
established an official Working Group (WG) to draft a plan of transformation of the largest child care
residential institution in Montenegro, “Mladost”, Bijela. It is expected that the plan will be adopted in
autumn 2014. The Strategy for the Development of Foster Care in Montenegro 2012-2016 was adopted
in 2012 and since been successfully implemented including a mass campaign “Every Child Needs a
Family” in late 2013. The number of children in foster care has been increasing over the years with 330
children in kinship care and 30 children in non-kin foster care in May 2014. In April 2014, MoLSW, the
Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education signed the Protocol on intersectoral cooperation for
the prevention of institutionalization. In addition, MoLSW engaged in a thorough reform of CSWs
across Montenegro which includes changes in the organization of the network of CSWs and internal
staffing structures and introduction of contemporary work methods such as individual assessment and
planning and case management methodology, which is instrumental for strengthening social work
interventions and gatekeeping mechanisms.
In addition to supporting the child right to grow up in a family environment, the child care system
reform envisages upgrading the process of supporting older children graduating from formal care
(residential and foster care)3. It has been recognized that leaving care is a particularly sensitive and
challenging for youth, and that youth in Montenegro leave care insufficiently prepared for independent
life. Consequently, in agreement with MoLSW, UNICEF Montenegro will engage in a partnership with
a local youth organization which will conduct research and an analysis of policy and legal framework
and practice related to children and youth leaving institutional care.
Additional international technical assistance is required to support the youth organization in the
implementation of this assignment (development of research methodology, data collection and
analysis).
Purpose and Objective
The purpose of this activity is to support the MoLSW in ensuring full protection of the rights of
children and youth leaving formal care in particular those leaving institutional care.
The objective of this assignment is to provide guidance and mentoring to the youth organization in
conducting research and analysis of policy and legal framework and practice related to children and
youth leaving institutional care in Montenegro, namely the Children’s Home “Mladost” in Bijela, in the
context of the objectives of the research, which are to:
1. Point to the problems facing youth leaving institutional care, by
i.
Revealing the gaps in the legal and policy framework in relation to supporting children
leaving institutional (formal) care,
ii.
Revealing the gaps at the institutional level, i.e. in relation to practice concerning
supporting children leaving institutional care,
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The rulebook on the organization and standards of work of centres for social work envisages the development of individual plans
for the preparation of children in care for independent living (Official Gazette of Montenegro 58/2013).
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iii.
Revealing the challenges faced by youth who recently left institutional care from the
perspective of young care leavers (covering the period of the last five years)
2. Provide recommendations to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare on improving the
status of children and youth leaving care.
Methodology and Technical Approach
The methodology will include desk review; direct work with the youth organization conducting the
research and analysis (through Skype interviews, provision of written inputs, possibly face-to-face
discussions etc.); consultations with the MoLSW and UNICEF, writing of a brief mission report etc.
The consultant is expected to work from home (unless it appears necessary during the assignment for
the consultant to visit the field).
Activities and Tasks
The consultant is expected:
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To review the following documents: relevant policies, legislation and reports on Montenegro in
the area of alternative care, including The Law on Social and Child Protection and relevant bylaws,
the Family Law, the Strategy on Social and Child Protection 2013-2017, the Strategy for the development of
foster care in Montenegro 2012-2016, draft Strategic Review of the system of caring for vulnerable children in
Montenegro by the NGO Lumos, draft Plan of Transformation of “Mladost” Bijela, Conceptual
Framework for Small Group Home service, Final evaluation of the Child Care System Reform project IPA
2010, and any other policy document/report/piece of legislation relevant for youth leaving
care;
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To support the local youth organization in developing a detailed methodology and conducting
research - fieldwork and analysis - on youth leaving care policies and practice (data collection
will include consultations, interviews, focus groups, secondary data collection etc.). The
research will refer to the current situation and consider any future plans of competent
institutions in tackling the needs of youth leaving care (entitlements, procedures, and the role
and area of competence/responsibility of relevant institutions, in the social, employment, health
or education sectors and local self-government legislation or action plans, in relation to housing
policies, subsidies etc.). In relation to practice, the research will focus on available support
including counselling, the prevalence and quality of preparatory work with children and youth
for leaving care and developing independent living skills, the level of participation of youth in
the process, and the types and intensity of follow up and support provided to youth who left
care. Persons which will be consulted during fieldwork will include the MoLSW, centres for
social work, personnel of the institution “Mladost” in Bijela, youth who left care in the past five
years, children in “Mladost” who will leave care in the near future, employment bureaus, health
and education sector representatives, pension insurance fund, representatives of local
authorities, relevant nongovernmental organizations, UNICEF, and other relevant stakeholders.
The role of the consultant is to provide guidance and mentoring to the research process, in
particular:
in the consideration of international standards in the area of alternative care (UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child – UNCRC, UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, The Report of the Ad Hoc
Group of Experts on the Transition from Institutional to Community Based Care etc.),
in the consideration of international best practice in relation to youth leaving care,
and
in relation to conducting high quality qualitative research (issues of validity and ethics
etc.).
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The consultant should support the youth organization in the research process in the following
phases:
development of a detailed methodology,
secondary data collection (e.g. by providing recommendations on relevant sources of
information),
primary data collection (i.e. fieldwork, e.g. by reviewing research questions for
interviews and focus groups, and assisting the organization to overcome potential
barriers during fieldwork),
analysis of findings,
presentation of findings in the form of a written report (by providing comments to
the draft report, home-based).
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To communicate with UNICEF on a regular basis in order to receive in-depth guidance;
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To provide other related assistance as required.
Key Deliverables and Timeframe
The consultant will be engaged for approximately 15 working days, based on the following tentative
work plan and tentative deadlines:
Task
Desk review (home-based)
No days and tentative deadline
Approximately 3 days, by 4
October 2014
Support to the youth organization in the development of Approximately 1 day, by 10
research methodology (home based or if necessary in October 2014
Montenegro)
Support to the youth organization in secondary data Approximately 1 day, by 17
collection (home-based)
October 2014
Support to the youth organization in primary data Approximately
5
days,
collection (home-based)
intermittently between October
2014 and end January 2015
Support to the youth organization in the analysis of Approximately 3 days, by mid
findings (home-based)
February 2015
Support to the youth organization in the presentation of Approximately 1 ½ days, by the
findings in a report prepared by the youth organization beginning of March 2015
(home-based)
Preparation of a brief final mission report (home-based)
Approximately ½ day by 15
March 2015
TOTAL days
15
The following key deliverables are expected by the following tentative deadlines:
1. Support to the youth organization in developing a detailed research methodology through
inputs/comments, by 4 October 2014;
2. Support to the youth organization in the data collection process through inputs/comments, by
31 January 2014;
3. Support to the youth organization in the analysis of findings through inputs/comments, by 15
February 2015;
4. Support to the youth organization in the preparation of the research report, through
inputs/comments to the draft (and if needed final) report prepared by the youth organization,
by 1 March 2015;
5. Brief final mission report, by 15 March 2015.
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The consultant should be accommodating to minor shifts in deadlines considering the involvement of
multiple individuals/organizations in the process and based on mutual agreement between all parties
involved.
Management and Organisation
Management: The Consultant will be supervised by the UNICEF Child Protection Officer.
Organization: International Consultancy, individual, at P-3 level, with considerable experience in the
area of social and child protection policy, deinstitutionalisation and support to care leavers is required
for this assignment.
The candidates are requested to submit their financial offer consisting of fee for the services to
be provided, travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.
The fee may be reduced if the assignments/deliverables are not fulfilled to the required standard. In a
case of serious dissatisfaction with the consultant’s performance the contract may be terminated in line
with UNICEF procedure in such matters and as spelled out in SSA.
Schedule: This assignment will commence on 1st October 2014.
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